JIM THOMAS - Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

Experience: Twenty five years of experience in scientific research, teaching, R&D, and R&D management. Broad background in the scientific disciplines.  Scientific group leader. Experienced manager of R&D proposals and funding. Experienced manager of large and small scale science and engineering projects. Co-Convenor of the STAR Parity discussion group.  Ex-Chair of the RHIC and AGS Users Executive Committee.

Statement:  We have three major scientific challenges ahead of us.  The search for the Quark Gluon Plasma, the full exploitation of the RHIC spin program, and upgrading the detector to meet the challenges of the future.

I am impressed by our published data.  We have observed dense matter, it appears to thermalize rapidly, it flows, and it is rich in gluons. But we have not observed any data that suggests a simple first order jump in entropy.   It is not like we expected in the early days of the program.  We have observed unusual phenomena and they require new ideas to explain them.  I believe that we are looking at a new state of matter but that we haven’t characterized it yet.  If there is a phase transition, it is subtle and probably not  first order. This means we should look for correlated signals and we must learn to interpret them.  We will need high statistics, we will need to cover a wide range of beam-beam combinations, and cover a wide range of beam energies.  I am committed to the pursuit of this program and to stimulate, support, and encourage our best and brightest colleagues to analyze the data.

The spin program has just begun and I strongly support the full exploitation of the spin program. STAR has unique capabilities with the detectors full azimuthal coverage, the ability to measure small x, and the EEMC to study W physics. We can and will do an excellent job studying the gluon’s contribution to the spin of the proton and the structure function of the nucleus.

The third and final challenge is to upgrade STAR.  We need to nurture and guide the upgrade plan to ensure that it survives the various DOE long range planning exercises and later to ensure that it is properly funded.  The current upgrade plan is excellent but we should also stay flexible and be prepared to amend the plan if we discover new physics in the current  program. 

Leadership Questions: The Spokesperson leads the collaboration.  His/Her primary responsibility is to develop and lead the scientific program.  In consultation with the Council, (if it comes to pass) the Executive Board, and the collaboration, I will work to define the scientific priorities for STAR and then work with RHIC management and the STAR operations group to ensure that these goals are achieved.  I will encourage rapid and timely publications but also ensure that each institution and each individual gets a fair share of the credit for their work.  I believe that the Spokesperson and the Council should work together to increase funding for the STAR institutions and the field of Nuclear Physics, in general.  And I am committed to work to increase the visibility of STAR at BNL, at conferences, and in the community.

Supporting our people is especially important.  I feel that STAR should put special emphasis on helping people who are making career transitions.  Often this is a young person moving to a new job or moving up into a new position at his or her home institution. We need to identify these people and give them preference for talks and principle authorship and support their efforts to serve on national and international committees.

Enhancing the productivity of the collaboration is important.  Part of the Spokesperson’s job is to recognize that different institutions and collaborators have different strengths.  Often, these strengths are complementary and careful balancing of these strengths will ensure productivity. The Spokesperson also has the ability to lobby for national resources and the opportunity to distribute national resources to the institutions.  I will do this in a way that enhances the scientific output of the entire collaboration.

The creation of an Executive Board is an excellent idea if it can be formulated properly.  I will work with the Council to finish the discussion about the EB.  My belief is that the Council is for the discussion of institutional issues, the Executive Board is for establishing and managing broad scientific goals, and the physics working group leaders are for managing and executing specific scientific programs. 

Finally, I was asked to comment on the selection of deputies.  This is a complex issue.  I will work with the council to select scientists who complement my interests and skills in order to form a team that reflects the full scientific diversity of the STAR collaboration.

Education, Service, and Career History: Ph.D. in Physics, Yale University, 1982.  Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology, 1982.  Robert Andrews Millikan Fellow, Caltech, 1983-1985.  Member of the Research Faculty, Caltech, 1986-88.  Physicist, LLNL, 1989-1991.  Group Leader for Heavy Ion Physics, LLNL, 1992-1996.  Staff Scientist, LBL, 1997-present.  Member of the STAR Collaboration and Deputy Project Director in 1997.  Co-Convenor of the STAR Parity discussion group, 1999-present.  Member and Chairman of the RHIC & AGS Users Group, BNL, 1998-present.  NASA/JPL Flight Readiness Review panel, 1988.  Principle Investigator for the Caltech/LLNL studies of Non-Newtonian gravity, 1988-1992. Member and Chairman of the lab wide LDRD program at LLNL, 1990-92.  Member of PHENIX Executive Council, 1994-96.  Member of the organizing committee, Quark Matter 95. Reviewer for the Royal Society of New Zealand, 1999-2001.  DNP Committee for APS Nominations, 2001-present.  Organized and chaired many workshops and meetings on heavy ion physics.  Over 80 professional publications, 30 invited talks, 20 publications for the public.  BBC-TV program “Defying Gravity”, 1989. Coach/Mentor to the Port Jefferson High School Robotics team, 2001-present.

Honors: A.W. Wright Fellowship, 1980-82. R.A. Millikan Fellowship, 1983-85. Outstanding Publication Award, 1990. Physics Distinguished Achievement award, 1993.